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WSAV Becomes Victim of Crime

Paul Rea
WSAV News 3
Thursday, April 21, 2005 - The WSAV-TV parking lot looks secure. We have a high green fence topped with barbed wire and a gate that requires special codes to open. But all these measures don’t impress security expert J. R. Roberts. “People get a false sense of security. Once I’m past the this barrier,” he says of the fence “I think I’m safe and that’s just not the case here.”

Reporter Will Nunley learned that the hard way. While he was working late Sunday night, a thief made it into the parking lot and started “shopping” through cars. Many were unlocked including Will’s. “I did leave the vehicle open to go in for a few seconds.” He also left some items in plain view on the car seat. J. R. Roberts says that is an invitation to crime. “If we continue to provide easy access and opportunity they’re going to take it.”

The thefts were a lesson for many of us. Unfortunately not everybody took it to heart. Even though all employees at the station have been warned, we found unlocked doors in the parking lot today along with items that could catch a criminal’s eye. It seems our guard is still down and J. R. says we’re just asking for more thefts. “That’s what we have to keep reminding ourselves. I’d love to tell you we live in Mayberry but we don’t”

But for at least one of us the message is now clear. “We spend our days educating people to try to prevent this very thing from happening. It’s even more difficult for me to deal with the fact that it happened to me and I let it happen.”

Several hundred dollars worth of items were taken but blessedly no one was injured and there was no property damage.